Structures and Monuments in Which California Stone was Used

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Structures and Monuments in Which
California Stone was Used

Finished Product from California Stone in California (Continued)

Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California – the Congregational Church – Pillar Supports (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"The exquisite Congregational Church built in 1856 of wood is supported by pillars of fitted rhyolite tuff blocks." The pillar supports were constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.
Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California – the Hemmighofen Building (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"Two locally famous structures, the Hemmighofen and Suesdorff brewery made of rholite tuff,...are no longer in existence." These two buildings were constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.

Mokelumne Hill (near), Calaveras County, California - the I.O.O.F. Hall (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"The I.O.O.F. Hall (Fig. 90) was originally a two story building erected in 1854 by the Adams Express Company. The third story was raised in 1861 by the I.O.O.F. thus making it the first three story building in the Mother Lode." The building is constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill which rises west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.

Fig. 90. I.O.O.F. Hall, Mokelumne Hill, HABS 1281-2.

I.O.O.F. Hall, Mokelumne Hill
Note: the first floor was being restored at the time of the photograph. (Photo taken in 1998)

Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California - the Leger Hotel (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"The Leger Hotel, reminiscent of the styles of the 'fifties.built of brick and rhyolitic tuff with wooden balconies adjoins the old courthouse which is now part of the hotel (Fig. 94). The hotel was constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.

Fig. 94. Leger Hotel, Mokelumne Hill, DMBS Cal-H29.

Leger Hotel, Mokelumne Hill
(Photo taken in 1998)
Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California - the Mayer Building (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

The Mayer building was erected in 1854 (Fig. 91) and was constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.

Fig. 91. Mayer building, Mokelumne Hill, DMBS Cal-H26.

Mayer building ruins, Mokelumne Hill
(Photo taken in 1998)
Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California - the Printing Shop Building and Adjoining Garage (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

The burned-out printing shop building (Fig. 92) and the adjoining garage (Fig. 93) were constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850'...." was still visible.

Fig. 92. Wall of burned print shop, Mokelumne Hill, DMBS Cal-H27.

Fig. 93. Print shop and garage, Mokelumne Hill, DMBS Cal-H28.
Mokelumne Hill, Calaveras County, California - the Suesdorff Brewery (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"Two locally famous structures, the Hemmighofen and Suesdorff brewery made of rholite tuff,.are no longer in existence. These two buildings were constructed of light brown rhyolite tuff quarried on a hill located west of town. About 1948 the "long surface outcrop in which can be seen the quarry pits opened in the 1850's...." was still visible.
Monterey, Monterey County, California – the Monterey Breakwater (The following information is from “Projects Utilizing Rocklin Granite,” compiled by members of the Rocklin Historical Society from various sources, 2011.)

“1932 Monterey Breakwater, Monterey”

Monterey, Monterey County, California – Father Serra Statue at the Monterey Presidio. The following excerpts are from “The Stanfords and the Serra Statue at the Presidio Monterey” (PDF), by Dorothy Regnery, in Sandstone and Tile, Stanford Historical Society, Vol. 13, No. 2, Winter 1989, pp. 2-5.

“The statue of Serra was based on a drawing by John W. Coombs, a contemporary of Leland Stanford....”

“On September 25, 1889, Jane L. Stanford contracted with the Western Ganite & Marble Company for $5,000 in gold coin to create ‘a life-size figure of Reverend Father Junipero Serra.’....”

“According to the contract, the statue was to be sculptured from ‘...Crystal Lake Granite, like photograph marked Western Granite and Marble Company....’”

“After sketches were accepted, a half-size clay model was made by Coombs. In March 1890, photographic ‘views’ of the model were sent to the Stanfords in Washington D.C. and the next month they saw the model in California....”

“The statue was completed by the ‘autumn’ of 1890. But on July 1, 1890, the manager for the Western Granite & Marble Co. requested a time extension. He wrote that ‘owing to the great amount of snow and ice in the Crystal Lake Quarry near Cisco, we have been unable as yet to get that large stone out.’....”

“The sculpturing was assigned to the Enterprise Granite Yards, Bisson & Bisson, Proprietors, whose place of business was on First Street in San Jose. Peter Bisson, Jr., is now erroneously acclaimed as the artist of the statue....”

Following are the captions of the photographs included in “The Stanfords and the Serra Statue at the Presidio Monterey” (PDF): “After the dedication, an iron fence enclosed the statue, and the names of Blanchard and Bisson were removed from the lower corners of the inscription.” “C.W.J. Johnson’s photo of the cross placed in the ravine by Casanova.” “One-horse-power was used to pull the granite statue loaded on a flat car over temporary tracks to the promontory site.” “At the dedication, Clementine Deymann, the model for the statue, was photographed to the left of the statue. Anna Marie Lathrop and her husbnd, David Hewes, were seated at the far left.”

Monterey, Monterey County, California – Father Serra Statue at the Monterey Presidio. The following photographs were contributed by Ruth Combs Edvalson, granddaughter of John W. Combs. Ruth Edvalson operates a museum that displays many of the tools, models, and carvings of her grandfather, John W. Combs. (If you would like to read more about John W. Combs and view photographs from his life that were contributed by Ruth Edvalson, visit the “John W. Combs” section of our web site.)


Clay sculpture of the front view of the Father Serra statue by John W. Combs 164	Clay sculpture of the back view of the Father Serra statue by John W. Combs 165	“Junipero Serra Monument, Monterey, Cal.” (postcard photo)


Father Cornelius, Orphan Asylum, Watsonville, CA, model for the Father Serra statue according to John W. Combs’ granddaughter	John William Combs, Sculptor

Monterey, Monterey County, California – the First National Bank Building (From Report XIV of the State Mineralogist – Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report – Biennial Period 1913-1914, Part II. “The Counties of Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo,” by Walter W. Bradley, Field Assistant (field work in October, 1913, California State Mining Bureau, San Francisco, California, 1916, pp. 173-370.)

Sandstone quarried by the Colusa Sandstone Company Quarry east of Sites in Colusa County, California, was used in the construction of the First National Bank building in Monterey.
Moraga, Contra Costa County, California - St. Mary’s College (Book)

A Master Building Plan for St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California: A Survey Report, by Stanford University, School Planning Laboratory, St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California, Stanford, California, The Laboratory, 1961.
Morro Area, San Luis Obispo County, California – Monuments of Local Rhyolitic and Granitic Rocks (From Report XV of the State Mineralogist, Mines and Mineral Resources of Portions of California, Chapters of State Mineralogist’s Report Biennial Period 1915-1916, Part V. Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura counties, California State Mining Bureau, 1919. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

“On the ranch of Dan Tomasini, 7 miles from Morrow, there is an extensive deposit of a rhyolitic rock of light brown color, which shows to advantage when rough dressed. M. P. Rolita is using a little of it for monumental work, but it is too remote from transportation for active exploitation.”

“Walter Ranch, Chas. Walter, owner, 8 miles from Morro. A deposit of a fine-grained, light-colored rock occurs which contains a little hornblende and biotite and approaches a granite in appearance and composition. It takes a fair polish and would be valuable if better situated. M. P. Rolita is using some of this stone experimentally in his monument work.”
Mountain Pass, Stanislaus County, California - House Constructed of Serpentine Blocks (From Geologic Guidebook Along Highway 49 - Sierran Gold Belt: The Mother Lode Country, Bulletin 141, Olaf P. Jenkins, Chief, California Division of Mines, San Francisco, California, 1949. Used with permission, California Department of Conservation, California Geological Survey.)

"West of Mountain Pass on a knoll on the south side of the road, the ruins of a house, made of serpentine blocks set in lime mortar, can be seen (Fig. 36). The outcrop is nearby and shows signs of workings. Close by on the same knoll is another and similar stone ruin."

Fig. 36. House ruin, west of Mountain Pass, DMBS 233-c-1.

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